A handgun safe is a must for those who keep a loaded revolver or pistol at hand for home defense. Go to Safes for more information.
Cable locks and trigger locks are almost useless for home defense. Cable locks require time to remove, meaning that your access time will be measured in minutes, not seconds. Trigger locks are cumbersome and equally slow. What’s more, trigger locks that install within the trigger guard can be dangerous to use with loaded handguns, as the locking mechanism can sometimes press the trigger.
There are numerous handgun safes on the market with varying levels of speed of access, features, and price. Before selecting a handgun safe for your home, consider the following information.
HANDGUN SAFE CONSTRUCTION:
It is important to recognize that no handgun safe is 100% theft-proof. Given enough time, even the dumbest thief will be able to either open your safe right in your home, or take it with him to open later. The purpose of a safe is to make access to your safe too time-consuming, so that the thief moves on to other items in your home.
Therefore, construction of the safe is paramount. The thickness of the metal is an important factor, as thin metal can be defeated with hand tools. Look for safes made from 14 or 16 gauge steel.
Some handgun safes have recessed doors, which make the doors more pry-resistant. Other types have exposed seams; if this is the case, there should be sufficient metal on the inside of the seamed walls protecting the seams, so that the safe can’t simply be pried open with a screwdriver.
Hinges are another consideration. Hinges that are recessed or on the interior are generally considered to be the best, as they’re nearly impossible for a thief to get at. If you’re looking at a safe with exposed hinges, make sure that the hinge is designed so that the pin(s) running through it can’t simply be punched out.
Safes should have pre-drilled holes allowing you to bolt the unit to your floor, wall, trunk of your car, or wherever else you plan to install the safe. To slow the thief down, you’ll want to use large bolts driven into wooden floor joists, i-beams, or other thick foundations. Therefore, the pre-drilled holes should be able to accommodate bolts at least 1/4″ in diameter. Refer to Safes Canada for more information.
SAFE ACCESS LOCKS:
There are several types of locking devices available for handgun safes. The simplest and least expensive is a key lock. While not as quickly accessib
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